This Easy Way to Teach Bike Riding post is part of a compensated campaign with Mirum. All opinions are my own.
When my older daughter learned to ride a bike, it seemed like she picked it up right away. I’m not sure if my memory is playing tricks on me, but it seems like this go-round with our son took a lot longer.
Our little boy loves to play outside. He’s ridden on a little balance bike, has played on lots of little kid scooters, and had a tiny little kid bike that he rode around on for a while. But it seemed like when it was time for him to move up to a “big boy” bike, he just wasn’t getting the hang of it.
We went through a period of helping him work on riding, but he would end up frustrated when he couldn’t get the pedals to move the bike forward. If he was going down a small hill or starting while standing up on the curb, he could get the bike started, but couldn’t make the bike move from standing still.
As it turns out, the problem wasn’t with our son’s ability or strength, the problem was with the bike.
We now realize that the pedals weren’t placed where he could comfortably push them, the handles were too far forward for him to reach while sitting completely on the seat, and the bar was too high for him to easily get on and off of the bike (despite the fact that it was listed as the proper bike height for his size!). Our son would get frustrated and even say he didn’t like riding bikes, all because we chose the wrong bike.
Boy have things changed!
Once we realized that the old bike wasn’t working, we headed to Target to get a Schwinn SmartStart bike. My husband put the bike together in about 15 minutes and we were ready to try it out.
The SmartStart bikes were created by Schwinn specifically for young children, so everything – from the pedal placement to the direction the adjustable seat moves in to the size and position of the seat – was designed to work with a child’s body size and shape.
As it turned out, those SmartStart bike features meant a world of difference when it came to learning to ride.
Our son was (understandably) frustrated with trying to ride his old bike so many times without success, so we played a fun game to get him interested in his new Schwinn SmartStart Scorch. We printed out Schwinn SmartStart Bike Trip Bingo cards for everyone and went out to play.
The object of SmartStart Bike Trip Bingo is to get the kids moving and riding to see if they can spot the objects on their bingo cards. Our son was able to start pedaling his new bike and was suddenly riding along with his friends and looking for Bingo objects without even realizing how well he was riding.
I’ll admit I was kind of waiting for him to go back to fussing about riding bikes, but once he finally started riding well, he never looked back. He is riding like a little pro on his SmartStart Scorch and we’re thrilled!
Our son now rides his bike every single day and loves it. He has no problem reaching the pedals and the handles, sitting comfortably on the seat, and starting the bike from a complete stop – because we have the perfect bike – a Schwinn SmartStart bike.
Schwinn SmartStart bikes
– 16” wheel size – classic learn to ride size
– Complete redesign of bike geometry to match a child’s body
– A more comfortable, ideal riding position
– Lighter bike frame for added control
– Smaller grip diameters to match smaller hands
– A more narrow pedal position to match children’s smaller hips
– Less wobble means more confidence in learning to ride
– The seat is shaped and sized to fit a child
– When a SmartStart seat is raised to fit a growing child, the reach distance to the handlebar also increases so the bike will fit your child longer.
– Like all Schwinn bikes, SmartStart bikes have a limited lifetime warranty for as long as you own the bike
I’m thrilled that my son loves riding his bike now. It’s great exercise and a wonderful way for him to spend time with his friends having fun. We are also able to take family biking trips around the neighborhood and to the local playground now that he’s biking on his own. We’re proud of him for not giving up and he’s proud of himself for riding a bike so well.
Print out your own Schwinn SmartStart Bike Trip Bingo and turn learning a new skill into an exciting game the whole family can play together!
Schwinn SmartStart bikes can by purchased at many of your favorite local retailers (like Target!) and at various retailers online.
Jennifer H. says
I like that the bike Less wobble means more confidence in learning to ride.
John H. says
I think that these are great tips!
Terrence Dragon says
good advice for us dads who need help outfitting our little ones with their first Schwin bike. especially were te accompianing photos. Thanks
Sarah L says
Looks like a great bike for learning to ride. Glad you found one for him.
Trisha McKee says
You know, you bring up such a great point. My son had such a problem learning to ride a bike and looking back… I think it was more the bike than anything else!